Varietal
Lagrein is a little known red wine variety native to northwestern Italy’s Trentino region. Relatively rare, even in Italy, in California it is almost non-existent: fewer than 100 producing acres are currently planted. In Italy, Lagrein is made both as a rose and a red wine and both are considered two of Trentino’s best local specialty wines. Generally, Lagrein produces darkly colored red wines which are fruity in flavor and not as heavy as their color suggests they might be.

Vintage
Vintage 2002 started wet, even before the calendar said it was 2002 - we almost had our seasonal average of rain before the New Year – with January and February being unusually dry and typically cold. We had light rain at the end of March that slowed down budbreak but without causing any major problems. Unsettled weather through spring kept things interesting. More cool weather in May extended bloom, which could have caused uneven ripening. At the end of May we were about two weeks behind 2001. Veraison began in late July, later than average, but earlier than 1998 and 1999. Moving into the final stages of the growing season we were in pretty good shape considering that our summer had been fairly mild. 2002 was a vintage won in the vineyard, beginning shortly after budbreak with shoot thinning, and on through the season with crop thinning to balance the vines and eliminate any damaged or delayed fruit. This work by our growers allowed us to bring in ripe, uniform, high quality fruit with intense flavors and nice natural acid levels.

Vinification
The grapes were cold soaked for 3 days, then fermented on the skins for 9 days. After pressing, the wine was racked to a combination of American and French oak and aged for 18 months then ultimately bottled in July of 2004. Alcohol 14.5%, Total Acidity .59, pH 3.94, Residual Sugar .03%. 290 cases produced.

Tasting Notes
Lagrein produces opaquely colored, berry-flavored wines, with moderate tannins that age about as well and as long as Zinfandels produced in the same region. This bottling is full flavored (red currant, blueberry, plum), full bodied, and long and lightly oaky on the finish. Enjoy with blackened redfish or casual foods like pizza, hamburger, and barbecued chicken.

< Back